Maybe its the friendliness of the staff or the eight large wooden picnic tables that serve as the seating area for this young pizzeria.

It could be the warm and inviting atmosphere of this no-frills, down-home style restaurant.

No matter what, one thing is for sure, once you sit down, relax and have a slice of cheesy, tasty pizza, you'll be hooked.

The menu at the walk-up counter, family-owned pizzeria includes a variety of pizzas, salads, hoagies, salads and calzones.

There are two dessert offerings, too — cannoli and cheesecake.

The pizza comes in three sizes — 12, 14 and 18 inches — and range in price from $5.99 for a single-topping 12-inch pie to $15.95 for an 18-inch specialty pizza (pesto, garlic pesto, pesto and mushroom or white veggie).

We ordered the small 12-inch pesto and mushroom pizza ($10.95) to start. The friendly person at the counter recommended that we wait a few minutes to allow the pizza to cool off before slicing it. She said that it would make it easier to eat.

She was right.

When it arrived about 15 to 20 minutes later, we immediately asked if it was the right size. It looked way too big to be a small.

We were assured it was.

The first bite, which took two hands to accomplish, was eye-popping and mouth-watering.

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The pesto was cooked directly in with the rather large mushrooms, topped by a 50-50 cheese blend of provolone and mozzarella.

Once your teeth get past the deliciousness of the pesto, mushrooms and cheese, the biggest surprise was how thin and crispy the bottom of the pizza was. The crispiness added a welcoming texture to the pie.

The crust was thick and fluffy like a pan pizza and could easily be peeled away from the pie and eaten by itself.

Minutes later, our second and third entrees arrived at the table — a "small" calzone ($6.95) and a 6-inch pastrami hoagie ($6.95).

Again, we had to ask if these were the "small" portions. Apparently, nothing really is small in this place — they don't skimp on size, so you better come with an appetite.

The crust of the calzone, which was stuffed with pastrami, salami, ham, ricotta and provolone cheeses and the perfect amount of marinara sauce, was a golden brown and brushed with a butter and garlic sauce.

Somehow the outer crust of the calzone stayed soft, yet crunchy, while the inside dough remained soft. There is a crunch with every bite and everything that oozes out of it is amazing.

The pastrami hoagie was just as delicious. Using Boar's Head deli meats and fresh vegetables, the hoagie was loaded with pastrami, provolone cheese and the right amount of pickles, chopped iceberg lettuce and mustard.

It sounds simple, but the flavor is anything but.

Owner Michael Cicala said the dough is baked daily in house, but the bread used for the hoagies comes from a local bakery.

For dessert, we tried a cannoli ($3.19). The homemade ricotta cheese was made with chocolate chips. The cinnamon-flavored pastry shell was cleanly covered with lines of chocolate. It was a perfect and happy ending to a great meal.

Cicala, who comes from a long line of restaurateurs in Pittsburgh, said they are putting the finishing touches on a grill so the eatery can start serving hamburgers, Philly cheesesteaks and bratwurst.

Cicala's Italian Pizza is the real deal with friendly service, reasonable prices, a welcoming atmosphere (it has a pool table you can use while waiting for your meal) and quality food.